Anyone reading this blog for longer than a week knows that I pretty much despise EJ DiMera. He’s among the lowest form of soap life around, in my book. Having said that, I LOVE the twist in the kidnapping story. So EJ was Anna’s accomplice? It just make sense, even if I didn’t see it coming! Very clever DAYS writers. So many writers claim they’re writing mysteries that will shock and amaze fans. You actually pulled it off. There’s a lot of good potentially coming out of this storyline. There are also some problems with EJ’s actions beyond the fact that he’s a kidnapper. Let me start with the things that concern me before I tell you what I love about this plot.

The big concerns (EJ/Ejami fans, you may want to skip this):

EJ threatened poor Faye Walker (Nicole’s mother).

He manhandled Ari Hernandez (Rafe’s sister). He far to abusive with women. Only a coward behaves with women the way he does.

He’s fought with Rafe.

He accused Sami of being a bad mother.

He framed Kate and his father for kidnapping.

He had Nicole physically harmed and then jailed for something she didn’t do.

He raised hell with the Salem PD and anyone else who would listen.

All of the above would be classic deflection and brilliant scheming AND make me fall completely in love with the villain responsible for such evil machinations if it weren’t for one small factor. EJ was merely victimizing Sami all over again! How many times does this man get to victimize her before the writers have her finally cut ties with him? Isn’t it time to conduct new DNA tests and sever the blood ties Sami’s children currently have with EJ? Shouldn’t Johnny be Lucas’ child? The writers could certainly find a way to make Sydney ANYONE but EJ’s kid. Geez, folks! Nothing good comes from keeping Sami in the same room with EJ for longer than a minute. She’s trapped by circumstance. She shares children with a loon who manipulates her and hurts her repeatedly, for his own amusement. EJ is sadly sadistic.

So what’s the outcome? He forces Sami to marry him (or rather has Anna do it) before Sydney can be returned? He gets her into bed, again? Has he ever been able to do that without a weapon or without manipulating her? Is he going to torment Sami until she snaps and then he takes custody of all of her children? He sets Rafe up to be murdered when Rafe tries to recover Sydney? EJ swoops in to save Sydney in order to impress Sami? It’s possible that his series of actions are all about undermining Rafe as a partner, as much as they are about punishing Sami, or manipulating her into relying on him.

I don’t want to see them together as a couple – she’s still the woman he raped. The fact that the writers tried to bury her rape and have her ‘get over it’ to try to force the audience into buying this lackluster couple bears no weight with me. In fact, the kidnapping storyline strengthens my resolve that Sami should NEVER be with him – their relationship has never been based on anything other than her victimization. Ej enjoys Sami’s pain far too much. It’s too late to undo the damage done in forcing Sami and EJ together.

What I like

This storyline is a shot in the arm to the long drawn out kidnapping fiasco. Without Ari Zuker’s (Nicole’s) participation in this storyline, it had become little more than an expensively produced sleeping pill… until now!

I’m actually curious about what happens next. It would be great if the writers allowed Sami to be the person to put the pieces of Sydney’s kidnapping together. I’d love for her to get Sydney back and recognize the scent of EJ’s cologne on the child’s toys and clothing. Maybe she remembers the sound of a toy in the background during a call from EJ. She could then set a trap for him, one that leads to his arrest and punishment (whatever that means on this show). Let it be the beginning of Sami cleansing herself of the hell EJ’s brought into her life. For all of EJ’s anger at Nicole, his actions are far worse than hers in my book. Nicole gave him the chance to know the child Sami planned to give away (still wrong). EJ has taken a child Sami held in her arms, one she loves, just to torment her. He is one heartless bastard (which in daytime can be a good thing; where good = interesting).

We know that most soap characters will never do jail time no matter how heinous the crime unless the actors portraying them need release time or are leaving their shows for good. I’m guessing that this storyline was designed to lead to a huge custody battle between Sami and EJ, rather than EJ wearing a matching orange jumper with Nicole. His desperation to save his rights as a father could lead him to him rely on his father’s help, despite the fact that he may not want to. Will the reunited DiMera men lead a brand new reign of terror in Salem? That leaves Kate in a pretty strange predicament. Either Kate would join them – or she would at least allow them to believe she was joining them and secretly work against them if Phillip – through Stephanie, decided to help Sami. In a war of any kind against the DiMeras, I could see Victor supporting Phillip and joining ‘Team Sami”. He wouldn’t join them because he cares – that’s not who our Victor is. He’d do it to help get the upper hand on the DiMeras in business by keeping them distracted in the courtroom. The Kiriakis-DiMera feud could continue for generations, but don’t worry soap fans. DAYS will last long enough for you to watch it all unfold. With SORASing, great great grandchildren on both sides will be joining the Kiriakis and DiMera matriarchs and patriarchs, in heading into the fray by next Spring!

Too much? You could be right, and if you are, the writers’ focus could (and should) just as easily be in reconstituting the Brady clan. A custody battle would be a perfect opportunity to bring the Bradys back together and strengthen the family bond. Sami has been too passive for far too long when it comes to EJ. It’s time to unleash the real Sami Brady and watch her lead her family in protecting her children. Watch out, EJ! Sami shot the last man who violated her, right in his zipper. You could be next, and you’re a repeat offender!

EJ vs. JS

While I have no love for EJ, James Scott is a powerful actor who brings so much to DAYS. I wish the writers would hang up their ratings killing ‘EJami’ obsession and let this character flourish without the baggage of that storyline. They can never undo what’s happened between Sami and Ej, so why not let EJ feel true remorse and move on with his life?

His rivalry with Phillip was fun, before it became muderous. Revive the rivalry. Let these sons of privilege have a (somewhat) honest but brutal corporate battle. Doesn’t Victor have a niece who wants to come to town and help run the family business? EJ is too easily use to being around women he can dominate – he gets that from his father. What happens if he meets a woman who isn’t afraid of him, who doesn’t think he’s ‘just dreamy’, and who’s capable of serving his backside on a silver platter? When he’s truly realized the horrors of his past actions with women and is finally redeemed and ready to move forward, he and Victor’s niece could be a part of a modern Romeo and Juliet storyline – minus the tragedy. I’d like to see JS transform EJ into a truly viable romantic lead at some point in the future, though I’d love for EJ’s life to be about more than the women in it and what he does to them. Scott has the ability to play a far more complex character than he’s been allowed to play. As a DAYS fan, I feel cheated that he’s limited to the role he’s currently playing.